Snapshots of the Fullmetal Alchemist
by BakaNeko96
Summary: Snippets and shreds of memories, laughter and tears. My first drabble series that will be updated almost daily. Disclaimer; I own nothing.
1. Photo

**# 1, Photo**

Edward is curious as to why his mother had forced a damp towel on his face a while ago. His little brother is being given the same treatment – squirming to get away from the rough cloth. When she is done, their mother scoops the both of them into her arms, carrying them into the living room. Ed's eyes widen as they land in the middle of the room, his father who rarely leaves his study, is there, along with a man who is holding a strange contraption. His mother had handed him to his father, saying something that Edward doesn't really understand.

Twisting his abdomen, Ed turns to face the man who has the same golden eyes as his, wondering if he should hug his father or just remain limp in the strong hands. Unable to decide, the young boy grins, somewhat disarming his father who only – barely – smiles back in response. Suddenly, Ed is turned around to face the stranger and the weird device, wondering what all the fuss was about when his mother tells everyone to smile. He complies, and then, there is a short flash of light, temporarily stunning him. His little brother, Alphonse, is crying, apparently startled by that strange flash.

But what jolts Edward to turn and look at his father, are wet droplets falling down his neck.

The first time the Elric brothers take a photograph is also the same day that Edward first sees his father cry.


	2. Doubts

**# 2 Doubts**

Running down the hill, Edward and Alphonse rush to their mother's side, excitement flowing off of them in waves. They had recently discovered the array which allowed them to make a figurine out of tin, their previous attempts being ones made of wood, paper or cloth. Edward's is a small horse, complete with a full riding set, while Al's is a crude teddy bear. They show them to their mother, eagerly awaiting praise they have learned to expect every time they present her with something they make by themselves, with or without alchemy.

Trisha takes the gifts gratefully, knowing full well the hours put behind making the dolls. As she walks them back towards their house, smiling and chattering gaily along with her sons, she couldn't help but wonder if letting Hohenheim's books be read by her children a risk worth taking; she knows the happiness alchemy brought her boys, but she also remembers all to well the grief it has caused her husband.

As the family walks back home, Trisha prays with all her heart that her boys would never be subject to such a cruel fate; ignoring the doubting feeling nagging at the back of her mind again for just this once.


	3. death

**# 3 Death**

The funeral is deathly quiet. Practically everyone in Reseembol is there, mourning the death of Trisha Elric, someone who had been taken by fate too early, and someone who had left two young sons behind. Pinako, the famed automail technician and surgeon, stands quietly in a stupor, both her hands on Ed's and Al's shoulders, wondering where on earth is that bastard who had pledged to protect Trisha all those years ago. Fingers tightening on her surrogate grandsons' shoulders, she thinks that it would be better if Winry were to share the same room with them for the next few weeks, as opposed to letting the boys sleep alone in their usual room when they used to visit.

Morbidly, Pinako also thinks that the sunny weather today is most befitting for Trisha's funeral, knowing full well that the last time anyone saw her smile was on her deathbed yesterday afternoon, clenching onto her boys hands and telling them desperately that; no matter what happens, please, please take care of each other.

No one would ever forget the youthful woman's last 'I love you' , knowing that it was not only directed at her sons, but also at her never present husband, the whole of Reseembol, and the whole world in general, as her eyes closed shut for one last time.


	4. The Beginning

**# 4 The Beginning**

Winry is annoyed. For days after the boys had finally come back from training with their master, they have been extremely secretive about something. It was bad enough that all they did when they came home was to gorge themselves on food before rushing off to who knows where, and now, they barely even paid her any attention – instead, sneaking off to 'work on a top secret mission', as Ed had said in glee.

The girl is about to go to bed when a frantic knocking on the front door is heard. Granny Pinako tells her to go on as she herself goes to answer the door. Winry almost does, thinking it is perhaps about Mr. Jones's wife who is due any time soon; but something is tugging at her to stay, a gut feeling telling her desperately that something is wrong. So she lingers at the front hallway, waiting to see if it is indeed the farmer calling for a midwife or…well, she doesn't know what exactly, but it somehow makes her stomach pool with dread as granny pulls the door open.

When the caller is finally revealed, it makes granny drop the pipe in her mouth, and Winry the cup in her hands. At the entrance of their house, is a suit of armor, a good six feet tall, complete with dangerous looking shoulder spikes. The armor starts speaking, its voice sounding hollow, oddly child like and strangely familiar, "Granny, you have to save brother!"

"A-Al?" stutters her grandmother who clearly recognizes the owner of the voice, "Is that you?!" The armor nodded, frantically before saying, "I'll explain later! But brother…" Winry, somewhat stunned by revelation, lets her gaze travel down along with the armor's, sliding slowly to its arms.

It is then she notices that, in the protective arms of what is supposed to be Alphonse, is the convulsing body of Edward's, bloody and missing an arm and a leg.

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**Alright...Here's the first A/N...**

**Which I'm gonna use to beg you guys for some feedback...How about this? First and tenth reviewer through will get to choose a prompt title for an omake chapter. **

**So...Constructive criticism please?**


	5. Listen

**# 5 Listen**

Three times.

Winry cringes as she remembers the number that represents the amount of times they had nearly lost Ed in surgery. The ordeal will forever be stuck with her, like a parasite, eating away at her conscience. She knows that if he had arrived a minute later, Edward would not have made it. She knows that in the next forty-eight hours, her childhood friend will be in and out of life and death. She knows that her dear friend had been _this close_ to being dead. She knows because she was there, with granny, doing their darned-nest to save the blonde's life.

Winry shakes her head making herself to calm down; Ed is going to be fine. The girl makes her way to the hallway, a cup of lukewarm cocoa in her hands, before leaning against the cold, metal body of Alphonse, willing him silently to talk to her.

He sits still in the quiet, for a few moments, making Winry think he won't talk at all, before he starts telling the budding mechanic everything. He tells her about their plan to bring their mom back to life, he describes the ritual to her, and slowly, he relives the horrible moments of when everything went wrong, right down to the horror of seeing his big brother torn and bloody, along with the shock of waking up as armor. Al tells her everything, while she sits there and listens to his guilt, hearing the strangled sobs that somehow manage to emanate from the hunk of metal; the thing that was now Al.

Somewhere along the way, Alphonse shows her his seal, explains to her that now, along with his inability to sleep, eat and feel, the circle made with the blood of his brother is the only thing that's letting him stay in this world; is one of the quirks he will have to live with.

And before drifting off to slumber, Winry remembers crying along with Alphonse, cursing the fact that alchemy even existed. She swears that she will do anything for Ed and Al, promising to stand by them no matter what happens after this, foolishly wishing that when she wakes to the rising sun in the morning, everything will turn out to be a horrible, horrible nightmare.

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**Thanks for those who reviewed and pointed out my mistakes!**

**More please?**


	6. Hope

**# 6 Hope**

Pinako is feeling a sick mixture of awe and despair as she works to connect the metallic nerves to the shoulder of a flinching Edward. The boy has been in surgery for hours and not once, did she hear a shriek or plead to stop from him. It is in awe that she watches the boy accept the hellish pain of automail surgery and despair as he cries for his brother. "I-I'm s-scared…" he manages to choke out in between the shocks his nerves receive and the temporary blackouts he got.

Winry is doing her best to placate Ed, as he tells them in a strangled voice about his fears of Alphonse rejecting and hating him for sealing him in that accursed metal body, stealing his little brother's ability to eat, sleep and feel physically. They can only look at Edward, say soothing things in his ear and hope that he learns to somehow forgive himself for what happened. Pinako clenches her teeth, wanting to murder the military man who came and offered Ed a position as state alchemist – but it is with resignation that she doesn't. The raven haired man has given the boys a hope that neither she nor Winry would ever be able to offer them.

Instead, she just prays that the damned military will not take them away for good, like they did to her son and his wife.

It is with a bloody determination that the old lady continues on with her work, ignoring the muffled sobs she hears, wanting to give all the best she can to the blonde boy before he sets out into the world of all too gruesome carnage.

And outside the surgery room, gone unnoticed by everyone else, is Alphonse, praying with everything he has for his brother's safety, begging whatever deity out there to forgive their sin and hoping that somewhere in the near future, he and his family will be able to sit at the dinner table again, enjoying the stew granny makes and laugh with not a care in the world…

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**Come on... A few reviews won't hurt...**

**The offer on chap 4 still stands for the tenth reviewer, so...**


	7. Mule

**# 7 Mule**

Wishing that he can glare right now, Alphonse instead settles with letting out a low growl at his brother. Edward is again pushing things too far, refusing to rest even if his automail ports are aching beyond normal pain. As he lies his brother's struggling body onto his bed, Alphonse can't help but think his brother is even more stubborn than the mule Mr. Sommers has – which is still probably an understatement.

But then again, maybe this annoying stubbornness of Ed's is something that will pull them through whatever obstacles they will face when they finally set out on their journey to get their bodies back. Alphonse just hopes that his elder brother's pig-headedness will not kill them first…

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**Yo!**

**Nice to see you guys again! BTW, the Omake prompt from the first reviewer will be 'Kiss and Run'. look forward to it by the end of this week!**

**Again, I remind you that the offer for the tenth reviewer through to choose a prompt/idea is still valid!**

**I love your reviews too! And favourites! And Follows!**

**Nyahahah! Ciao!**


	8. Tears

**# 8 Tears**

"Why are you crying?" Edward, no, the Fullmetal Alchemist, asks his childhood friend as they stand in front of the blazing ruins of what used to be his and Al's house. He watches her scrub away the tears furiously before she replies, "It's because…neither of you will cry…that…I feel like...I have…to cry…for you idiots!" Edward stares at her stunned, before he reaches for her hand, attempting to comfort Winry.

"I'm so sorry Win." He mutters, "I… I swear that we will get our bodies back no matter what!" His best friend's sobs quiets a little as she hears the determination in that promise. She desperately wants to tell them to be safe, to not loose themselves, and to come back no matter what, but all she can muster is "Idiots…" as she clenches both Alphonse's and Edward's hands tighter.

Silently, Edward moves closer to Winry as the three of them stare at the last glowing embers of the house, swearing that he will keep moving forwards and not turn back on this path they have chosen. But also, as Edward looks at the dying embers, he thinks naively that maybe, just maybe; as the last of the ashes flies away, they will bring along with them the nightmares that haunt him.

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**Halo! Did you know reviews and constructive criticism are what keeps me going?**

**This chapter is based on what Hohenheim presumes his son was thinking when he burned his house down in "Father before the Grave". Thought it would be nice to extend on that...**

**Love you guys!**


	9. Omake Kiss and Run!

**Omake ~ Kiss and Run,**

**Dedicated to axcel-lili for being reviewer number one!**

"Come on Ed, you promised didn't you?"

"No!"

Trisha sighs and shakes her head. It never was easy when Ed decides to be stubborn, and it certainly isn't any easier now. Looking at her eldest son's obstinate frown, she wonders what had possessed her earlier that day to tell her little man what it was he should give dear Winry for her sixth birthday. Perhaps it was time to pull out the trump card; Winry is looking as if she would bolt off at any moment with the tense atmosphere radiating in the air.

"But if you do, Winry would be very pleased and you might," Trisha makes a choice to go all out and make a blatant lie now that Winry really looks like she's going to cry, "_might_ grow taller…"

Eyes going wide, Edward says almost disbelievingly, "Really, mommy?"

"R-really," his mother says with a strained smile._ Sorry, my little man. But a mother has to do what she must sometimes…_

Winry freezes as Edward suddenly pulls up closer to her, his hand running through his hair. Taking a deep breath and putting on a brave face (no, he is not puffing his cheeks out!) Ed scuttles even closer to the girl, inching closer and closer until…

_Chu._

Cheeks' burning a brilliant red, Edward breaks off into a run, stumbling out of the door and almost tripping on his way out of he house; leaving one very stunned Winry behind. It is her first kiss from Edward on the cheek.

And her first kiss and run.

Trisha is doing her best t not break out into laughter at the whole scene as she tells the blue-eyed girl, "Ed says 'Happy Birthday to you Winry. I hope you like your present."

Barely, very barely that Trisha would have missed it if she wasn't looking, Winry nods.

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**There you go axcel-lili! Hope you like it!**

**Remember readers, the tenth reviewer through will als get to choose a prompt/idea as an omake in this series. So...Review please?**


	10. Behind the Taunts

**# 9 Behind the Taunts**

Roy Mustang cannot help but snicker in pride and amusement as he reads the latest mission report by Fullmetal. As stubborn (and annoying) as the midget runt can be, Edward still does a good job when it comes to busting underground businesses; like the most recent scandal in Liore. He will never admit it to that runt, but Roy acknowledges him for his steadfast morals and determination. He still remembers the day when the boy received his heavy title of 'Fullmetal'; and instead of the fear he had expected, he only saw the steely blazes of strength behind the boy's golden eyes.

It was then that, the Colonel knew that he will trust Edward with anything and he will never hesitate to throw a million opportunities in the way of the Elric brothers so they will be able to fulfill their goal of regaining their bodies. They deserved that much.

Smirking, he picks the phone up to call Edward in the inn they're staying, briefing the blonde on the next side-mission to check up on the mines in the east; while giving in to temptation to call the boy 'short' in as many ways as possible within five minutes.

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**Selamat Datang! And hello to all of you!**

**You know, if you review and tell me what you guys think about my stories and my writing style, it would really help me improve!**

**So, constructive criticism please?**


	11. Home

**# 10 Home**

When the miners told the Elric brothers that their home was akin to their coffin, Edward had wanted to snap so badly. It isn't because of the townspeople he is angry, but the fact that he can actually relate to their sentiments that almost pushes him over the edge. After all, he is living the pain of having no real home to return to, he understands all to well of wanting a permanent place where you can spend the rest of your life in peace and certainty.

He almost admits this out loud, as he beckons his brother towards the coal mountain. He doesn't, so instead, he tells his younger brother about his plan; mentally praising himself for the evil genius that was his brain. It had really outdone itself this time.

Alphonse, meanwhile, can only shake his head, mulling over the fact that this person who is about to con a fellow military man with absolutely **_NO_** mercy happens to be the same one who told Rose to stand up on her own two legs and walk forward (it was a very convincing speech) a while back. It is absolutely ironic.

Edward meanwhile, is cackling manically over the scheme he has to con that idiot Loki into bankruptcy oblivion.

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**Thank you for the recent followers and favourite-er!**

**Meanwhile, I have realised that waiting for reviewer number ten might have been a little too ambitious...**

**So, I'm offering the prize of choosing their own prompt/idea to both the TENTH and FIFTH reviewer!**

**To potential reviewer no.5, its only one click and type away!**


	12. Curses

**# 11 Curses**

The tension in the air is thick enough to slice with a butter knife. Shou Tucker, the Life-Sewing Alchemist, has just asked Edward and Alphonse about the reason behind their sudden visit to his abode. Mustang cringes slightly, knowing that if the information gets out, Fullmetal will be court-martialled; and he does not trust this shady man yet.

Edward however, thinks otherwise, because he stops Mustang from using a cover story and removes his jacket, showing off the full glory of his automail; then tells the bespectacled man everything that made him and Al like this.

Roy trusts them enough to choose who learns of their back story; so when he leaves the house, he does not expect anything drastic to happen during the Elric brothers' visits there. He also does not hesitate to send Havoc to fetch the boys that evening so he can relay the reminder to Tucker on the upcoming State Alchemist evaluation.

On the other hand, the Flame Alchemist certainly does not expect to find a bloody Fullmetal and a beaten up Tucker tomorrow, with a talking chimera, apparently made from the bodies of Nina Tucker and her dog.

Least of all does he expect both the Tuckers murdered messily the very next morning, by a serial killer who only goes after State Alchemists; and the fact the murderer is still in town.

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**Here ya'll go!**

**On a completely different note, the world works in very mysterious ways...**

**Somehow, axcel-lili is the fifth reviewer and has claimed the prize again. She chose "First Wedding Night' starring EdWin this time.**

**So...to my other readers, the Tenth reviewer (Juudaime!) spot is still very empty so, I suggest you people hurry it up before axcel-lili claims it too. The moment she does, she's gonna be the mascot of this drabble series. (MUAHAHAHA!)**


	13. Maybe

**#12 Maybe**

Underneath the mask of a serial killer, Scar is seething with hurt and guilt. No matter how many times he is told to forgive and forget; or reminded that what is done is done, and nothing can ever change that, he cannot find it in his soul to do so. Scar misses his family, his proud clan that thrived in such harsh conditions in the near-dessert, but most of all, he is unable to wash away the guilt of letting his brother die for him. The white haired man expects no one but the great goddess of Ishvala to understand him. He asks for no redemption – just simple revenge.

So, when he sees the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist sitting in the rain, looking beyond despair, he thinks that the goddess has decided to shine a little luck on him.

As he approaches the boy, a small part of him questions the fact that he is about to kill a State Alchemist who is barely into his teens; who has nothing at all to do with the carnage brought on by the stupid civil war. But he does not ponder on it for long, because no innocent will ever become a dog of the military, he reasons. Thus, with that thought in mind, he begins his chase. He pays no heed to the destruction he causes along the way, pausing only once when he hears the metal suit call Fullmetal 'brother'. Then, when he finally corners the alchemist, after pulverizing his automail arm, he freezes again, not expecting the words that come out of the blonde's mouth;

"Fine….kill me, but…leave my little brother alone!"

Scar feels almost relived when the gunshot fired in the air stops him. He looks up, mentally saying his grace as he faces off the Flame and Strong-arm Alchemists; grateful that he does not have to remember his brother just yet.

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**And thank you for all the awesome reviews!**

**Enjoy this chapter and Review! Ciao!**


	14. Hell

**# 13 Hell**

"I don't care! I've already seen hell and came back from it!"

Dr. Marco is shocked into silence. The young man in front of him has slammed his only fist onto the table with all his might, denying any refusal; simply demanding for answers. But the doctor cannot let Edward have the secret. Anything, anything at all; they can go ahead, take it and leave, just not _that_. He will never allow that tragedy to ever, _ever_ happen again, not when he can stop it…he must never let anyone else find out about the Philosopher's Stone.

So, with a hardened glint in his eye that one can only earn from serving in the military for a time, he sends Armstrong and the Elric brothers away. Marco at least expects them to retaliate; to torture the information out of him, anything at all to get those papers; but…they just leave the apartment, with no fight, only a small air of defeat around the one-armed boy. It makes him rethink the apparently stubborn glare in Fullmetal's eyes earlier.

It takes moments after the door shuts for the doctor to snap back from his daze. When he does, he makes a decision he hopes he will never come to regret for as however long he lives.

As he hands over the note to Edward a while later at the station, panting from the run he took from his home, Marco looks up and searched the boy's eyes; wanting to reassure himself of his earlier conviction. He finds himself surprisingly pleased with what he sees.

For, in the truest manner possible, the doctor sees for the first time in years, a burning fire of hope, of passion, and best of all, he sees an endless pit of a strange type of kindness in the blonde's golden eyes. Then, deep down in his heart, he knows that no matter how desperate the boy becomes, he will never resort to _that_; and Edward will always pull through without sacrificing anyone.

Marco still knows he is right even after the train pulls away, even when later, he opens his door to be attacked by the Homunculi; he knows he will never regret making that decision.

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**I love you reviewers!**

**Remember, the tenth reviewer through will get a chance to see their own prompts/ideas displayed in this FanFiction!**

**It doesn't matter if you have an account or not, just REVIEW!**


	15. The Place You Call Home

**# 14 The place you call Home**

Edward is tuckered out after the heinous spar with Armstrong and Al earlier. As of such, he promptly falls asleep on the couch in granny's living room, becoming the living embodiment of a snoring rhinoceros – while, as usual, slumbering with his tummy exposed.

Winry has always asked him about that, the reason he always sleeps with his stomach exposed for the world to see, but he never answers her. He knows though, the reason why he has that strange habit; he knows very, very well the answer behind the shamelessness and why it only happens at granny's house.

Because, that quaint little house at the top of the hill in Reseembol is, when everything starts to become too much for him and his brother to handle, somewhere quiet to take a small breather before they set out on their long journey again. It's a place where he feels safe, and comfortable; the only place he and Al have to go after razing their own house to the ground years ago; the sanctuary where he can bare his weaknesses without being afraid or wary.

It's the one place that Edward can call home.

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**Come on people! Just TWO more reviews till the tenth one and the prize!**

**Hurry!**


	16. Omake 2 First Wedding Night

**Omake 2~ First Wedding Night**

**For: axcel-lili. **

It's so beautiful, Winry thinks as she does a small twirl in the middle of the bathroom.

It has taken one beautifully screwed up proposal, tons of stuttering and nervous blackouts (all of these were Edward and not Winry…), but finally, finally, finally she and Ed had said the vows, exchanged rings, and were married.

Dreams come true indeed.

Washing the last of the make-up off, Winry waltzes clumsily out of the bathroom of the inn they are staying at. She is starting to feel nervous, what with the thoughts of spending the night together with the man who had given Winry her first kiss and run, but the jitters rushes away as soon as she walks into the bedroom.

For, on the bed was Edward – her dear, dear Edward – smiling so gently at her with molten gold eyes burning with steely love for Winry.

And right there, Winry finds herself falling in love all over again.

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**And here is the omake I promised axel-lili!**

**Plus the tenth reviewer has arrived!**

**I'll figure some other rewards by the next chapter or so! Enjoy!**


	17. Human

**# 15 Human**

The older of the Slicer brothers is completely and utterly stupefied by the child he is fighting.

The intruder had come only minutes ago, and yet the blonde was starting to scrape horrifically on his metaphorical nerves. No. 48 doesn't understand the grating feeling that comes every time the boy tries to stand after a particularly nasty blow by his sword; it becomes even worse when the boy doesn't so much as blink when he reveals the secret of his body (who in the bloody hell _smirks_ when they see a headless and bodiless suit of armor move and talk?!).

His younger brother meanwhile is not much better; allowing a few of his swings to go wide and miss the boy by a hair's breadth when the cut would have otherwise been grievous if not, fatal. It is annoying, having to fight an extremely volatile monkey that doesn't know just when to die.

It didn't calm their nerves much when they had had to concede to the blonde monkey later; made things worse when they discovered he had a little brother just like them. The entire situation was just so…frustrating.

Because here was a boy, barred too early in the world of blood, accepting them as humans like it was nothing; that after all these years of being pair of notorious murderers, finally given the death sentence and forced into this accursed body, here was someone calling them human. It hurt when the boy shamelessly admits that he does not care in the least what kind of body they have – they were human, are human and will always be human.

And it hurt so much to hear that.

Thus, it didn't come as a shock that when Lust and Envy had come a while later to finish them off, the brothers felt so torn at loosing their one, last opportunity at being treated as human just disappear like that.

But perhaps, the older Slicer thought as he felt the last ebbs of his soul fading away and looks at the stricken face of the young boy; that this was probably enough.

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**Hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter omake! I'm not that good at writing romance sooo...**

**Well, Read and Review please!**


	18. Luck

**# 16 Luck**

Lt. Maria Ross does not understand. She draws blanks every time she questions the audacity of the Elric brothers. Why is it; that even when those two boys discover truths that are not meant for the sane, or when their dreams are crushed to smithereens by a few simple words; do they keep pushing themselves forwards, through the path paved with shattered shards of glass, poison and snakes?

She questions herself over the unconscious body of the blonde boy on the hospital bed; her hand itching to slap him in the face when he wakes. The lieutenant has already confronted Alphonse earlier, happy that she let her colleague do the honors of slapping the metal armor.

Maria sighs as she lets herself guilt over the injured boy, randomly guessing reasons behind his and his brother's stupidity yesterday. She thinks that, if whatever they are yearning for can warrant them entirely abandoning something they have put their hopes on for God knows how long; it has to be something that makes it worth every painful step they take. The young woman knows it has to be, because she remembers with vivid detail how much hope the boys had radiated during their research.

Therefore, when she slaps Edward's face a while later (the sound of her palm connecting with his cheek so harshly was immensely satisfying) and gives him a lecture he probably will not forget anytime soon; she also feels like patting the teenager on his head to wish him the best of luck.

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**There you are! Enjoy!**

**Review please!**


	19. What I Really Want to Say

**# 17 What I really want to say…**

His barely healed body screaming in pain, Edward curses to himself, angrily blinking back tears that have formed in his eyes. He realized that he's been a total idiot for keeping his regrets away from his little brother, but he just couldn't….

Ed shakes his head, trying to shake away the unpleasant memories from his automail surgeries. It doesn't work much; he still manages to catch snippets of himself, crying about the failed transmutation being his fault, hating himself for making his brother spend all those quiet nights alone. Absent-mindedly, he rubs his right shoulder, a dull ache having formed at the base of his port at the feverish memories.

He truly feels exhausted, the emotional rollercoaster he has been riding on for the past weeks had finally decided to stop for a while; and he is just terribly glad that he is given a chance to breathe before it starts going quite mercilessly again. As the wind blows on the hospital's rooftop, Ed clenches with all the mechanical force his right hand has onto the railing he is leaning against, more than effectively denting the metal structure. He winces as he unwittingly recalls the mutated body of Nina, the words of her death by Scar and, oh ….God, that horrifying feeling of knowing that he could never have done anything to repair that transmutation of her father's.

Edward's own brush with death when he encountered Scar not so long ago managed to make him feel his mortality a little too much for his liking. It reminded him that in his line of work, he can die as soon as today or a far as in the next decade. Edward was pushed even further over the edge when he discovered along with Al that their one hope for getting their bodies back required the lives of thousands to accomplish. He had damned near broken when he saw the main ingredient for the Philosopher's Stone were human lives – the Truth must seriously hate them.

Then…Alphonse had to snap.

His little brother had accused him of lying; that Al is a human and not a mechanism made to amuse Ed; that all his memories are false. That everything they are working for is not real. Not that Ed can really blame his brother for that…it isn't as if he understands at all what it means to be a suit of armor, or how it's like for your very existence to be defined by a single, pathetic blood seal. He hates it all so very much; though…its true life is decidedly not a bitch to him.

Oh, no…it's more like fucking time bombs that go off every few hours or so to remind him of _Every Single Damned Mistake_ that he has ever made in his really short life.

Edward is seriously contemplating the destruction of the entire hospital just for the heck of it (just the building, mind you; he doesn't want to kill the patients…) when the door to the roof bursts open to reveal a flustered Alphonse, words of apology flowing off of him. Momentarily snapping, the teen proceeds to clobber his younger brother despite his wounds screaming at him to stop. Eventually, he wins the scuffle (Though it was mostly because he cheated and Al was holding back a lot) and the brothers both slump down the floor, looking up at the blue sky.

The young alchemist then does something he has wanted to do for ages with his brother; he talks.

He talks about his dreams, his regrets. He curses out loud about their crappy fate, thanks his brother for being there with him. Under the sun, the brother's roles are reversed for a while, the elder one pouring his heart out while the younger one just listens, and takes it all in; occasionally adding his own bit here and there. Edward apologizes while Al refutes the 'I'm sorry's, never having blamed his brother for anything that has happened to them.

And when they're done, Edward and Alphonse feel so much better having vented out their frustrations.

All they had ever needed to do was talk.

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**Wow.. 696 words is by far the longest I've done for a drabble..**

**Hope you like it - this was mostly from the conversation Maes Hu****ghes** and Winry had about actions being louder than words and vice versa.

**Remember****, the review button down there is craving attention!**

**The third omake in this series has been decided with the title 'Nightmare'. Look out for it!**


	20. Miracle of Life

**# 18 Miracle of Life**

Edward hasn't freaked out this much since the first time he broke his automail two weeks after he got his first assignment as Fullmetal Alchemist.

To his credit, Winry has devilishly good aim and a strong throwing arm – both of which he was going to be subjected to if he didn't bring that damned bucket of water fast. But honestly, he is terrified.

He's terrified of the screams emanating none too subtly from the bedroom. Terrified that he **couldn't** do anything for the woman who was about to give birth without any professional aid; scared that this is a matter of life of death, that he is so, so helpless.

He doesn't want a repeat of what happened to his and Winry's moms; so it is with a single-minded determination, Edward really prays for the first time in ages. Head hunched and palms clasped together, Edward _prays-prays-prays-_

-BANG!

And for once, his prayers are answered.

It is with utter awe, relief and joy that Edward looks at the newborn baby in his mother's arms as he and Al walks over Paninya's unconscious form. Edward then proceeds to ruin the beautiful moment by blabbing out alchemical theories and philosophies about the amazing fact that humans can create life, while science cannot.

Later, when he carries Winry out of the room, after she confesses about her snooping of Ed's pocket watch (for once Ed has a valid excuse to get back at her for hitting him with her wrenches), and he picks up her crumpled form from the floor after dropping her, Ed tells the mechanic;

"It's a miracle Winry. You gave the mother and child the miracle of life."

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**Enjoy!**

**Don't forget to leave a review on your way out!**


	21. Teacher

**# 19 Teacher**

Izumi does not know what to think about her stupid, stupid apprentices.

She knows – knew ever since rumors of the Fullmetal Alchemist started flowing around for years – that something is wrong with her idiot students.

_"…have you heard...Fullmetal….alchemy…no circles…automail"_

_"…suit of armor…always….story…empty…blasphemy"_

She can't shake the foreboding feeling every time she hears those words over and over again; hoping so desperately that what she thinks has happened is all in her paranoia.

Any illusion of that dies a tragic death when Edward and Alphonse pay her a visit today; the empty clanking of armor echoing eerily throughout the hall and Edward's soft clunk-thump of his footsteps resonating with the echoes. Still, Izumi does not want to believe it (_Paranoid, I'm just being paranoid…)_; so she does what she is best at instead, by smearing the two boys against the pristine white-washed walls of her neighbor's house.

When Edward and his brother confesses the next day (or tried to seeing as Izumi literally kicked the secret out of them first), she can't let herself pretend anymore – not when Al is an empty suit of armor staring back at her, not when Edward did alchemy with no transmutation circle and reveals his automail in the process; not when it is so blatantly obvious that the boys tried to bring their mother back to life after all the warnings she gave them against the taboo.

She tells them too, of her attempt of trying to bring her baby back and what she's lost, she lets them cry the tears they've been holding back for so long. They apologize; and in the end, she dismisses them as her students with a heavy heart. The boys leave and she tries to control her anger, sadness and remorse by violently butchering some lamb with the sharpest knives in the shop. _Stupid-CHOP-idiotic-CHOP-moronic-CHOPCHOP-stubborn**-GRINDCHOP**-monkeys-Cho-_

_-_"Teacher!"

Slink! Skiff! Sling!

She almost enjoys it when her students cower at the knives she throws at them (_insolent-brats-I-told-them-not-to-come-back_). And when, once again the clear, determined eyes of Edward meet hers, like that day so many years ago when the boys had begged for her tutelage, she is elated to find that she cannot turn the brothers down and away again. So, she throws another couple of insanely sharp knives that skid too close to them for comfort, slaps them nice and hard on the heads then barks at them to come eat dinner.

Because she's jut glad to have her stupid-baby-apprentices back.

* * *

**Have fun while you can...**

**I'm having a real busy month and I will be updating a little slower...at worst, it will be once a week or something.**

**Ciao!**


	22. Omake 3 Nightmare

**Omake 3~ Nightmare**

**For, Solar Flare of Saturn**

It hurts, hurts, hurts and he is bleeding, dying, choking and he doesn't know how long he has left – and it just plain effing HURTS!

Edward is slowly growing numb, his automail long gone and destroyed. Morbidly, he finds that he can only think of one thing even though he's being held in a chokehold by an invisible enemy;

Winry will kill him if he makes it out of this mess alive.

Black spots begin to cloud his vision as his lungs scream for oxygen, and still the Fullmetal tries to fight back, kicking weakly at his assailant's knees. He wants to live – needs to live for Alphonse, so his little brother won't hate him, so he can finally ask for the forgiveness he has always longed for from Al.

Edward curses, wishing he could at least see the face of the bastard that's choking him; so he turns and elbows the guy in the gut awkwardly, trying to balance on his only leg then falls from the ground when the grip around his throat loosens from the sudden movement. He pushes himself up stiffly from the cold, unforgiving floor, wanting to spit in the face of the enemy; and when he looks up, Edward feels like the whole world is drowning him.

Staring down at him with malice and hate lacing every fiber of his body is his little brother; Alphonse.

It shouldn't be Al, that much Edward knows because Al should be fourteen now, not the ten-year-old glaring down at him with those eyes. Oh, those eyes…

The two dark gold orbs trained on Edward's limp form on the ground are enough to make Ed want to die-die-die. Because his little brother should never, ever have those hardened, hate-filled eyes.

As the supposed-to-be-Alphonse takes out a knife and approaches the Fullmetal alchemist with a malice filled grin, he says the one sentence that breaks Edward in every way but physically;

"I hate you, brother."

As the sharp blade lunges through the air and down onto his neck, Edward Elric wishes so desperately that this whole thing is a nightmare and nothing more.

* * *

**Here you go Saturn! sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoy it all the same!**

**As for the others, the review button down there gets really lonely from all the neglect!**


	23. Trapped

**# 20 Trapped**

Alphonse has to admit, outsmarting and outrunning the human-chimeras are the most fun he's had in ages. He is starting to understand why Ed loves taunting his pursuers whenever he gets into trouble. The armor can barely hold back a gleeful cackle a he runs through the old, dilapidated factory.

Unfortunately, the fun stops when the snake-woman, Martell, decides that entering his armor to slow him down will end the outsmarting and outrunning. Al really has to ask his brother on how he never manages to get caught while running away. Must have something to do with his small size…

Now, chained against a wall in the basement of the Devil's Nest, Alphonse has to wonder if talking to strangers was ever a good idea at all. It definitely isn't, he decides if he has to endure the weird, icky feeling of someone sitting inside his armor every time he does.

A few more hours pass with Greed and his lackeys trying to glean any kind of information about soul-binding alchemy off of him and eventually turning the conversation to the weather, and then, what it feels like to either be a suit of armor, a chimera or a homunculus. The crocodile-man (for the life of him Al can't seem to catch his name) is about to explain in detail about what a pain it is to have to use a loo with a tail sticking out of your ass when 'BANG!' the door goes, revealing Edward in all his mighty fury.

Alphonse never knew that Ed could give a scolding like teacher.

Alphonse is also glad he doesn't have to know how a crocodile poops.

Now…if only Brother can stop provoking Greed and his cronies and remember that his little brother is trapped with a snake-lady inside of him…

* * *

**Tell me what you think of my series so far, alright?**


	24. Break

**# 21 Break**

"LET ME GO!" Martell claws desperately against the metal prison trapping her in, tears streaming down her eyes shamelessly.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she is morbidly pleased that she is giving the armor-boy a hard time keeping her in.

"S-stop it! They told me to keep you safe!" she hears the hollow, detached voice of the armor yell. She doesn't listen, doesn't care, so she yells back, "SHUT UP! Just LET ME GO!"

"I CAN'T! I'm sorry but I can't!" he croaked back. "AAAARGH!" Martell screams back in defiance.

Martell vaguely feels that the armor has started moving. She doesn't feel anything but the seething, boiling rage that she can't save anyone, was useless, alone and…

And the armor boy bumps into Fuhrer Bradley.

In a blind rage, she somehow finds the strength to overpower the armor boy and uses that moment to grab the Fuhrer-bastard at the throat. She ignores the babbles the armor boy is spewing out; trying so desperately to cover for her.

"Where is master Greed?!" she demands.

Then, just before Bradley plunges into her throat with his twin swords, he utters the three words that break her spirit into a thousand tiny pieces;

"I killed him."


	25. Heart

**# 22 Heart**

A heart is so extremely fragile, Alphonse realizes.

He feels sick, dirty and tainted, and he doesn't want to think about it, doesn't want to remember, doesn't want to feel the guilt that-that-

That he had let Martell die just like that.

Ha had promised to protect her, promised to keep her safe, sworn to Drochett to keep her alive.

And failed miserably he did.

His memories of the Gate came back, sure, but if the price is someone else's life-

Fuck the Truth.

"Hey, Al?" his brother calls out gently. Alphonse only barely nods in acknowledgement. "You did your best. So stop. Stop brooding and look up."

And Alphonse, in his daze of regret and sadness, does as his brother asks. His gaze meets Edward's molten gold orbs of conviction. "We will get stronger. I promise Al. Nothing like this will ever happen again if I can help it. To hell about what the idiots say about naïveté. We can and will stop anyone from dying in front of us again. Okay?"

Then, his brother is in front of him, squatting just before his face.

"Now stop moping. We have to make a trip to Rush Valley tomorrow, so go inside. I need to be in tip-top condition before Winry bludgeons me for destroying her automail, alright?"

Alphonse can't help but snort a little as his big brother gets up and stretches. He feels marginally better right now.

He replies, "Yeah. Thanks, Ed."

* * *

**Well, the last chapter was a little off...I wrote the entire thing in like ten minutes...**

**Hope this one is better.**


	26. Ling

**# 23 Ling**

Edward. Will. Kill. Ling.

No. Mercy.

None. At. All.

It was fine when he had to buy the stupid man some lunch (SOME?! That was enough food to feed the ARMY!).

He had barely flinched when Ling ordered his guards on him and Al to beat the secret of the Philosopher's stone out of them.

Ed then found that he could not even summon the energy when Lan Fan forced him to break his arm off to use as bait to scream in frustration.

His eye had only started twitching when the town had demanded compensation for all the damage done. Thank goodness Al was there to fix things (he was a little peeved when his brother revealed he could transmute without circles though. Now Al has both the HEIGHT and ALCHEMY advantage…talk about unfair).

Then, his nerves had almost, _almost _snapped when that stupid emperor had somehow made breaking his automail entirely Ed's fault and Winry had bloodied him even further than he already was. He had barely refrained himself from tearing up Mr. Garfield's shop right then and there.

He held back though.

But, now….

Edward feels ready to summon the devil with this new revelation.

How the heck is a guy, barely older than him, 10 centimeters taller?! That is completely and utterly illogical, and is Ling a mutant?! No one their age should be that tall!

Breathe in, breathe out.

Oh, yeah.

He will kill Ling all right.

No mercy.

None at all.


	27. Maes Hughes

**# 24 Maes Hughes**

"…fault. It's my entire fault…" Edward slides down further into the couch he is sitting on, feeling as if a tank had crushed his lungs.

His entire fault….his stupid, stupid fault that Hughes dies.

Even if Gracia hadn't blamed him, even when she pushed him to go down the path he had chosen, because if he didn't Hughes's death would have been in vain-

-Oh, he had damned near broken a wall when Elysia had started asking for her daddy. It felt like a fucking repeat of what happened to Nina.

And it is isn't it? The fact that he couldn't save the life of someone so close to them, that if Hughes hadn't met them none of this would have even happened.

Edward chokes back a sob as his mind takes another nosedive to remind him that he would never, ever see Mr. Hughes again. Taking one deep breath, Edward tries desperately to calm down the torrent of feelings riding wild in him.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Enough grieving. The dead don't come back to life.

That's it. In. Out.

Honor Hughes.

Keep going forward. Don't look back. In. Out.

The door of his room knocks. It's Winry and Alphonse, "Are you okay, Ed?"

They're grieving too. Stay strong for them. It's okay.

"…Ed?"

In. Out. This will never happen again. Not ever. Promise.

In. Out.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Let me get dressed in a bit."

Never again.

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**And here's one extra chapter for today, since I haven't updated in ages! (Chappie 26 and 27 are out at the same time!)**

**Critics, please?**


	28. Snap

**# 25 Snap**

Snap.

An explosion. Whimpers.

Fire. Smoke.

Mustang smiles grimly at the charred lump of meat before him as the acrid smell starts to waft in the air.

'Maria Ross', killer of Maes Hughes, is now 'dead'.

The Flame Alchemist muses at how easy the whole damn ordeal is. Looking up from the blackened mess of pig meat on the ground, Roy faces a quivering convict number 1929;

Maria Ross.

"Don't ask questions," Roy says tersely as he moves to cut the metal chain around the bewildered woman's wrist, "Just go, and trust me."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" It is Fullmetal.

_Tsk. The runt came too soon. _Maria winces and tries to say something, but is cut off by the Colonel.

"Hurry. Go." The Colonel wastes no time in shoving the woman through a hole in the dumpster bin nearby. He is running out of time; the Fullmetal must have already found out about the situation.

Just in time, as Edward is already here, when Mustang shifts to place the wrist-chains on the 'corpse'.

"W-Wha-?"

Barely sparing Edward's frightened, disgusted and betrayed face, Roy Mustang snaps his gloves off with a small flourish, stands and says,

"I killed Hughes's killer."


End file.
